When The Flower Blooms
by Arc Records
Summary: A 19 year old Haruno Sakura has a perfect life. She has earned much recognition do to her part in the war two years ago, and is known as the best medical shinobi in the village. But Sakura's perfect life is thrown off course when a certain wandering shinobi decides to return home. Sakura said she would wait for him, but she didn't anticipate him waiting to return to her as well.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

It was a Sunny afternoon in Konoha, Sakura could see out of her office window. The cherry blossom trees weren't quite in bloom yet, but everyone in the village already knows the beauty that they hold.

Sakura spun back around in her chair to face the large pile of paperwork in front of her.

"I can't be like Tsunade-sama..." Sakura groaned.

Sakura fulfilled her dream of opening a children's mental ward to help the children of the village handle the affect of the war, and it was going smoothly. Sure, from time to time she would have to lose some sleep to finish all the paperwork she had to do, but it was all worth it in the end to Sakura.

It was always in her nature to help people. Even as a weak Genin, Sakura did her best to help her teammates and others around herself. When Sasuke left the village for the first time, Sakura realized how helpless she really was. She became Tsunade-sama's apprentice and took up medical ninjutsu, but little did she know how proficient she would be in the field.

Six years later, she's now surpassed her master and is known as the best medical ninja in the village, perhaps in the whole world, and is one of the strongest Kunoichi of her time.

She has really bloomed into something beautiful.

Sakura looked up from her paperwork when she heard a knock on her door.

"Come in!" Sakura said.

Long blonde hair peeked its way through the door.

"Hey Forehead!"

Sakura's brows pulled together.

"Ino-pig!"

Ino dismissed Sakura's comeback with a wave of her hand and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. I have a patient to get to soon, but I was passing by and wanted to ask you about Girl's Night tonight. Tenten, Hinata and I are going out to BBQ! You in?"

Sakura sighed and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

"Sorry Ino, but I'm busy tonight,"

She gestured at the stack of papers in front of her.

"You always seem to find time for work but not for your friends! This is like, the third time you've missed Girl's Night!"

"I know Ino, and I'm really sorry. I'll try to make it next time, okay?"

"Oh you better, or I am dragging you out this office and to the hot springs! Got that forehead?"

"Yeah, I got it, Ino."

"And don't overwork yourself, ok? I need you to sleep in your bed tonight, not that old chair again."

"Ok, Ino. Thank you. But you shouldn't keep your patient waiting."

By the time Sakura finished her sentence, Ino was already out the door.

"Overwork, huh?"

Sakura guessed that she has been working overtime recently, but she hasn't been doing anything too extreme, she's just been really busy.

But Sakura decided to listen to her best friend's advice, and decided she wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight as well.

"Alright! As soon as I finish all this work, I'll grab some dango and head on home, Shannaro!"

Now with the motivation of food on her mind, Sakura began to tackle the documents in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

"Finally..." Sakura sighed, leaning back into her chair. It had taken her nearly 9 hours, with patients in between, but she had finished all her paperwork. She was tired, her hands ached, but most importantly, she was hungry.

Sakura's eyes widened when she remembered the promise she had made to herself. She sat up quickly and clapped her hands together.

"At least now I can buy some dango!"

Sakura gathered the papers from her desk and put them in her bag. She would need to drop them off to Tsunade-sama and Kakashi-sensei before her shift started in the main building of the hospital.

She stood up out of her chair and left the hospital for the night.

Nights in Konoha are always busy, especially at this time of year when the warm evenings draw everyone out of their houses pass their curfew. Sakura walked by many happy couples, and she couldn't help but to think of Naruto and Hinata. The couple married one year ago, were living happy lives with one another. Two months after the wedding, they moved into a big family house.

_"We might have some little people running around soon enough, so might as well give them space, dattebayo!"_

Sakura was more than happy for her two friends, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't a little jealous too. She would never imagine that out of everyone on former Team 7, Naruto would be the first one to be in a relationship.

_"Team 7, huh?"_

Now with her team in mind, Sakura couldn't help but to think of Sasuke.

She looked up at the moon.

_"I wonder where he is right now. Far away, I'm guessing."_

Sakura sighed and looked down at her feet. She remembered that moment two years ago before Sasuke left the village to atone for his sins.

He told her next time, but what did next time really mean? She had a hold on the idea, but every time she tried to go into depth and analyze the words, she had gave up and decided to wait for Sasuke to give her the answer himself.

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura was so lost in thought, she didn't realize she was walking by Ichiraku's. She looked to the side to see Naruto walking over to her with a goofy grin on his face.

"Hey Sakura-chan! Whatcha doing?"

"Hey Naruto. I'm just on my way to get some dango," Sakura smiled up at Naruto.

"Oh, dango! Mind if I come with you?"

Sakura loved spending time with Naruto, but she thought of how energetic he can be, and of how tired she was.

"Sorry Naruto, not today. But the next time I go out for dango, I'll make sure to invite you. Where's Hinata?"

"She went to BBQ with Ino and Tenten. Now that I think about it, shouldn't you be with them?"

"I had some work I needed to finish first. Although I didn't expect to finish so early, I have a few things I need to do tomorrow morning, so I don't think it would be wise for me to go out now."

"That's Sakura-chan, always thinking ahead! But you should go out once and a while, or else you'll become super boring. But don't go out too much, or else you'll become exactly like Tsunade baa-chan! Having one is scary enough, I don't want to imagine what it would be like to have two!"

"Naruto, don't say that about Tsunade-sama!"

"But it's true, dattebayo!"

"You better take that back right now, or else I'll tell Tsunade-sama what you said about her!"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he put a nervous hand behind his head.

"Well look at the time, it's getting late! I should go see if Hinata's home yet," Naruto started to back away from Sakura.

"When you see Tsunade tell her I said that she's awesome! Goodnight Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked at the back of her teammate briskly walking away, chuckling to herself. After a few seconds, Sakura turned around and continued on her journey to get some dango.

After some time, Sakura made her way to the dango shop.

"Two skewers of Mitarashi dango please!"

As Sakura waited for her dango, she thought of the last thing Naruto said.

_"I wonder if one day Sasuke-kun will wait for me to come home. Or maybe it would be the other way around?"_

"Two sticks of Mitarashi dango?"

"Ah, thank you!"

Sakura walked to one of the small tables outside the shop and started to eat her dango.

_"'Next time,' he said. What does that mean? The next time he returns he will stay in Konoha? The next time he returns he'll let me travel with him? Or is it the next time he returns we'll..."_

Sakura stopped herself from thinking any further. If she kept trying to figure out what Sasuke meant, it would give her a headache.

She finished the last dumpling and made her way to her apartment.

_"Sasuke-kun is so cryptic sometimes."_

Sakura's alarm woke her up at six o'clock the next morning.

She got out of bed and went to the kitchen to boil some water and toast some bread. Sakura wouldn't have much time to dawdle this morning, as she had to drop off the papers she finished yesterday to both the Rokudaime and Tsunade-sama before her seven o'clock shift at hospital, so she had to do things a little out of order to conserve time.

Sakura freshened up in the bathroom and poured herself a cup of coffee. After breakfast she doublechecked the paperwork one last time before she placed them in her bag and headed out to start her day.

As she was approching the Hokage tower, Sakura felt a familiar charka. But something was different about it.

It felt _warmer_.

_"That couldn't be..."_ Sakura felt the chakra draw nearer as she quickened her pace.

It had been two years since she had felt his real chakra this strong. How it was possible that she could identify its wielder even after how different the chakra felt amazed her.

_"I guess his journey really has helped him, huh?"_

Sakura sped up her pace so much she made it to the Hokage tower in less than half of the time it usually takes her. She just really couldn't believe what she was feeling. She turned the corner to see no one other than the man she had been waiting for.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke was leaning on the wall outside of the Hokage tower. At hearing his name, he looked up to where the familiar voice came from.

"Sakura..."

"You're back in Konoha?"

"Hn. What are you doing here so early?"

It was difficult for Sakura to respond, looking into the eyes she had thought about so often. He was wearing a tan cloak on top of his signature high collared shirt. He had a piece of fabric wrapped around his head, most likely to keep his hair in place to cover his rinnegan.

"I have some papers to give to Kakashi-sensei."

"He's not here yet."

Sakura sighed. "Ah, I don't know why I assumed he would be on time. Even if he is the Hokage, his punctuality still hasn't changed."

"Yeah."

Sakura looked down at her feet, and then to the side. A topic of conversation wasn't exactly easy to think of for her. Luckily, Sasuke spoke in her stead.

"You can wait with me," Sasuke said.

Sakura looked up at him suddenly with wide eyes.

"If you want to."

Sakura had to force a blush down as she responded to his suggestion.

"I would love to Sasuke-kun, I really would. But I have to get to work."

"I see."

An awkward silence overcame the two of them again, and this time it seemed like Sasuke wouldn't try to save the conversation.

"Well... I need to leave, but I really enjoyed seeing you again. Maybe... maybe we can meet up at Ichiraku's this evening? With Naruto, that is."

"Hn... That sounds fine."

"Great! I'll see you later then, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura would love to stay and talk to Sasuke, but she would be trying to keep up a dead conversation. Plus, she did need to get to work.

Later at Ichiraku's, an actual conversation would be easier to hold, as she would have Naruto there to help her keep it up.

"Sakura."

Sakura turned around to see Sasuke looking directly at her.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Can I walk you?"

Sakura was baffled when she heard what Sasuke said. In all the situations she imagined in her head of Sasuke coming home, this was not one of them.

Sakura smiled. "Sure."

She started walking and in a few moments, Sasuke was right beside her.

The walk was in an uncomfortable silence for Sakura, but she was still very happy with his presence.

_"I can't believe he's here, right next to me no less. He's finally home. I wonder if he's going to stay in Konoha for long. I could ask him, but would that be too intrusive of me?"_

Sakura looked at Sasuke and decided to take the risk.

"So, how long are you planning to stay in Konoha?"

"I'm not sure yet. It depends on how I'll feel here, I guess."

"I see. Well, I hope Konoha still feels like home to you, Sasuke-kun, so you can stay here long as possible!"

Sasuke blinked, and then turned his head away.

"Yeah."

Sakura could have sworn she saw a hint of a smile on Sasuke's face.

He was truly back, in flesh and in spirit.

Sakura saw the hospital in the distance, and by the time the walk was over, the two were already used to the comfortable silence between one another. When they were near the doors, Sakura stopped walking and turned to face Sasuke.

"This is my stop. Thank you for walking me. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, see you."

Sasuke watched Sakura as she walked into the hospital and lingered for a while even after she was no longer in sight.

Tsunade was still looking out of her window at the Uchiha walking away as someone knocked on her office door.

"Come in!" Tsunade yelled.

"Good morning Tsunade-sama. I have those analytics and reports you wanted about the children's ward. I also have some copies of files of our more serious patients that may need to be transferred over."

Tsunade read over some of Sakura's work, proud to be her boss and former mentor.

"You finished these faster than I expected you to. Good job, Sakura."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama!"

Hearing the weird tone in her voice, Tsunade narrowed her eyes at Sakura.

"You seem chipper this morning. What did he say to you?"

Sakura's eyes widened in shock and she waved her hands in protest as she tripped over her words.

"Tsunade-sama, what are you talking about? He didn't say- How did you know? Did you see him? D-did you see us? Is word already going around that Sasuke-kun is back in the village?"

"Calm yourself!"

Sakura stopped moving her arms and took a deep breath in to compose herself.

"I'm sorry. You just caught me by surprise. But Sasuke-kun really didn't say much to me, I'm just happy that he's back in the village, that's all."

She peered at Sakura to discern if she was telling the truth or not. After deciding that what she said wasn't a lie, Tsunade smiled at the young girl.

"Be as happy as you want, as long as it doesn't affect your work."

"Of course not, Tsunade-sama. Oh, and I just remembered, Naruto told me to tell you that you're 'awesome'."

"Don't lie to me, girl. What did he really say?"

"If I told you what he really said Tsunade-sama, Naruto might not live to become the next Hokage."

"That bastard. I'll spare him this time, but make sure he knows that the next time he says something bad about me, he can expect an exclusive hospital room. Dismissed!"

Sakura had a wide grin on her face. "Yes, Tsunade-sama!"


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

It was early in the morning when Sasuke saw the huge gates of the village. After traveling for two years, he decided that it was time to return home.

Being isolated for so long really gave Sasuke time to think. Time to think about his sins, his home, and his friends. But there was one person in particular that Sasuke thought about a lot.

_"Sakura."_

It would be an understatement to say that Sakura has been on Sasuke's mind for a while.

After the war, he finally accepted Sakura's feelings for him. He was terribly sorry for all the hurt that he caused her, and believed that she deserved better. But when he was leaving the village, the words interchanged between Sakura and him made Sasuke see that she was never going to give up on her love for him, and that maybe he should try to forge that special bond of love once more.

But he needed to change before that happened. Sure, he still had his insecurities, but Sasuke believed that he was a better person now then he was after the war. His journey really did help him.

Traveling around the world, visiting different villages, Sasuke became a selfless person, willing to help anyone who needed it, and he learned how to get happiness back into his life.

He learned to reject the darkness, with Sakura as his light.

And now, returning to his home, that light was shining ever so brightly.

Stepping foot into the village, Sasuke began to make his way to the Hokage tower. He would tell Kakashi his plan to stay in the village, and then he would find Sakura. He wouldn't need to look for Naruto, as he was sure Naruto would find him first.

It was weird, walking through the village again. Naruto told him about Pain completely destroying the village before, and how everything had to be rebuilt.

There were still unfinished buildings here and there, but for the most part, everything was completed.

Food stalls and stores were in different spots, and it seemed as if more housing was added into the village. Sasuke noticed the little things, the things he would have to get used to again.

Coming up to the Hokage tower however, he could see it was regularly the same. It was a little bigger, and the red was a tinge brighter, but besides that, there weren't any differences Sasuke could detect.

He walked into the building and strait to the women at the Secretary's desk.

"How may I help you?"

"Is the Rokudaime in his office?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but he's not in yet. Would you like me to set up a meeting with him for you?"

"No. What time will he be in?"

"Well, we don't really know yet. Lord Sixth isn't really known for being punctual. You can sit and wait for him if you'd like."

Sasuke felt the eyes of the other woman behind the desk on him.

"No thank you. I'll just come back later."

"Ok then. Have a nice day sir!"

As Sasuke turned around to walk out of the building, he overheard the whispers going on between the two secretaries.

"Is that Uchiha Sasuke?"

"I think so. What is he doing here?"

"He probably wants to let Lord Sixth know he's back. If it was up to me I would've told him to stay out of the village."

Sasuke sighed. He obviously wasn't welcomed into the village by everyone, and Sasuke understood why.

He understood the woman, but that didn't mean he had to stay in the same room as her.

Sasuke leaned up against the wall on the outside of the building. Knowing Kakashi, it would be a while before Sasuke got to talk to him.

"Sasuke-kun..."

Sasuke looked up to see none other than the person he came back to the village for.

"Sakura..."

_"What is she doing here so early in the morning?"_

Sasuke's eyes wandered to the bag that was on Sakura's shoulder.

_ "Maybe she has something for Kakashi."_

"You're back in Konoha?"

"Hn. What are you doing here so early?"

"I have some papers to give to Kakashi-sensei."

_"So I was right," _Sasuke thought.

"He's not in yet."

This wasn't part of Sasuke's plan. He didn't get the time he needed to think of what he was going say to Sakura. She was talking to him, and he could feel himself respond on autopilot, but then Sakura's lips stopped moving.

And it was silent.

_"I need to say something. But what did she say before? I didn't hear what she was said."_

"You can wait with me."

Sasuke saw Sakura's eyes go wide. Clearly that's not what she was expecting to hear.

"If you want to," Sasuke added on quickly.

An apologetic look came over Sakura's face.

"I would love to Sasuke-kun, I really would. But I have to get to work."

"I see."

Sasuke wasn't sure what he would've said to Sakura if she said yes, but he was still hoping she would take up on his offer. Even though he didn't let it show, Sasuke felt defeated.

Sakura then brought up that they could meet at Ichiraku's later, along with Naruto. Sasuke didn't mind this idea, as he got to talk to Sakura and see Naruto again.

"Hn... That sounds fine."

"Great! I'll see you later then Sasuke-kun."

Sakura turned around and started to walk away, but Sasuke wasn't ready to be parted from her yet. He thrived in her warm presence, like he was standing in the sunlight. Sasuke didn't want to lose that feeling yet.

"Sakura."

_"Hopefully she'll say yes this time."_

"Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"Can I walk you?"

Sakura smiled at him.

"Sure."

She turned around again and started to walk away. Sasuke took his time to catch up to her, observing her from the behind.

_"She cut her hair again. It's different from what it looked like last time. She's wearing a white coat, so she must work at the hospital, right? That makes sense, she is a medical ninja after all."_

After a few moments, Sasuke was right beside Sakura, walking with her.

Being present for Sakura's major parts in the war, Sasuke knew that she wasn't the same as she was in their genin days. She's become the strong powerful kunoichi whom Sasuke's love bloomed for.

Both Sakura and Sasuke were quiet, but Sasuke could feel how uncomfortable Sakura was. Was it him or the silence making her feel that way?

Sakura looked up at him.

"So, how long are you planning to stay in Konoha?"

"I'm not sure yet. It depends on how I feel here, I guess."

"I see. Well, I hope Konoha still feels like home to you, Sasuke-kun, so you can stay here as long as possible!"

How was she able to do this? Did Sakura even know how she made Sasuke feel? She was the only woman who had the ability to make him feel so flustered, and she didn't even know it.

Sasuke had to turn his head away so Sakura didn't see the tint of red on his cheeks, but he couldn't help but smile at her heart-warming words.

"Yeah."

To say the least, the rest of the walk was no longer in an uncomfortable silence.

Sakura began to slow down, and Sasuke saw the hospital in front of them.

"This is my stop. Thank you for walking me, Sasuke-kun. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah, see you."

Sasuke watched Sakura as she walked into the hospital and greeted the woman at the front desk. She disappeared around a corner and Sasuke could no longer see her, but he still lingered to feel her warm chakra.

_"She's different,"_ Sasuke thought.

Many aspects of Sakura has changed over the years. Her hair, her skills, and her love for Sasuke.

Sasuke's love for Sakura has changed as well.

_"I'll see you later, Sakura."_

He turned around to make his way back to the Hokage tower. At least he would have the rest of the day to think about what to say to Sakura.

He didn't want to move too fast though. He knows he's changed, and by the looks of it, Sakura's changed too.

_"She seems like a very busy person now,"_ Sasuke thought.

Maybe he'll give her time. Give her time get used to the new Sasuke. That way, she can decide for herself if she still wants Sasuke or not, without the distraction of knowing that Sasuke wants her as well.

It'll also give him time to learn about the new Sakura.

_"Does she like the same things that she used to? She still has the same presence as before..."_

Sasuke didn't really know much about Sakura. He knew her habits and attitude from back in their genin days, which are cherished memories, but how many of those memories portrayed Sakura as she is now?

_"I'll just have to figure it out."_

Sasuke walked back into the Hokage tower.

The secretary looked up and smiled. "Oh! You're in luck, Lord Sixth just arrived! He should be in his office now."

"Thank you."

As Sasuke walked away, he saw the secretary side-eyeing him.

He sighed.

_"What should I have expected?"_

Sasuke walked up the stairs to the Hokage's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" He heard Kakashi call.

Sasuke walked into the room and saw Kakashi's classic grin hidden behind his mask.

"My secretary told me you were here. It's been a while, hasn't it Sasuke?"

"It has."

"How were your travels? It must have been exciting, going around the world as you did, right?"

"Ah. I've changed..."

The grin on Kakashi's face grew ever wider.

"...For the better. I've repented for my sins, and I want to stay in the village."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Sasuke. It's good to have you back in the village. Now, with the return of one of our shinobi, we'll both have quite some paperwork to do, so why don't you take the day to yourself, and we'll get to this another time?"

_"Same old same old. Who knew Kakashi would be such a lazy Hokage,"_ Sasuke thought sarcastically.

"Speaking of paperwork, Sakura had some documents she wanted to give you. You weren't here when she came though, so she said she'll come by later."

"Ah, it must be about the Children's ward. So…"

A suggestive tone of voice came over Kakashi.

"You seeked out Sakura before me, huh?"

"I just happened to run into her."

"I see. She's very popular in the village, especially with the men. She's become a very powerful Shinobi."

At hearing Kakashi's former sentence Sasuke grew a bit jealous, but he tried not to let it show.

_"Popular in the village, especially with the men?"_

"Well you'll just have to get to know her as she is now."

Kakashi took out a small orange book from his back pocket and flipped it to a specific page.

"Now if you excuse me, I have a lot of work to do today."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled with joy.

I'm glad you're back, Sasuke."

Sasuke turned on his heel to walk out of the office. He had is hand on the door handle when Kakashi called out to him again.

"Oh, and Sasuke?"

He looked back and met Kakashi's smiling gaze.

"Good luck with Sakura."

Kakashi knew. How he knew, Sasuke wasn't sure. But he knew, and he was supporting him.

"Hn."

Sasuke opened the door and retreated into the hallway.

...

I guess Saturday is the update day for this story then.

I would like to thank everyone for the positive feedback. Your support keeps me writing longer and better chapters! I won't let you all down.

Also, can we get 3 cheers for Sasuke Retsuden? It already has a reprint! Jun Esaka is feeding the sasusaku fandom and we're thriving. If you can, make sure to buy a copy to support the author, and maybe if enough Japanese copies are sold, the novel will be translated into English! All we can do is hope, my friends.

Thank you for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

"There you go, you're good as new! Now promise me you'll be more careful the next time, okay?"

"Okay, Haruno-sensei!"

The young boy hopped off the table and ran into the hallway.

"You're amazing Haruno-sensei, it feels better already!"

Sakura wrote down a prescription to give to the mother of the boy and smiled.

"The scrape was pretty bad, but luckily Yukito-san won't need stitches. I want you to rub this on his knee every day until it's empty. You can pick it up at the desk you passed when you came in."

"Thank you, Haruno-sensei."

"You're welcome. Have a nice day!"

The woman smiled at Sakura and took her son's hand to walk away. Yukito turned around and waved.

"Bye Haruno-sensei!"

Sakura waved back at the young boy.

"You seem to have an admirer."

Sakura turned around to see Ino leaning on the wall.

"He's just a kid, what could you expect?"

"Hm, I guess you're right. Anyway, I came to ask you if you wanted to get some tea. You're on your break now, right?"

"What have you been, stalking my schedule?"

"Of course I have! Why do you think I'm here right now?"

"Ino!"

"Don't act surprised, you know me!"

Sakura sighed.

"I could use some tea. Give me five minutes and we can go."

For the first few minutes, the friends ate and drank their tea in quiet, but Ino couldn't hold in what she wanted to tell Sakura any longer.

"So.."

Sakura looked up from her dessert.

"I heard that Sasuke is back in the village."

"Yeah. Word has already gone around, I see."

"You knew?"

"I saw him this morning. He walked me to the hospital."

"You're acting so nonchalant about this!"

"I'm just over the shock now," Sakura sipped her tea.

"But I'm glad he's back in Konoha."

Ino saw right through Sakura, and she saw the fond look that appeared on her face went they started to talk about Sasuke.

"Do you still love him?"

Sakura looked up at Ino.

"You still love Sasuke, don't you?"

Sakura's eyes seemed look everywhere in the room. Everywhere but at Ino.

"Hmm, I guess I do, don't I?"

"Gosh, Sakura, it's been years! Don't you think you should give this Sasuke thing a break?"

"Love doesn't work like that, Ino. You should know that."

"I know, Sakura, it's just…"

Sakura raised a brow.

"Do you think he'll ever love you back?"

Sakura stared at her dessert in thought. Her boldness became dull and it seemed like she physically shrunk.

"He already loves me, just as he loves Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. And you know what? I'm content with that. Why ruin a great friendship looking for romance? Of course I love Sasuke-kun, I always will. If he loves me back romantically, then we can be happy together. But I can't rely on someone else to bring me happiness. If being with Sasuke-kun is the only thing that'll make me happy, then I'm clearly not ready for a relationship."

Ino smiled at Sakura, but she didn't fully accept what she was saying.

"When did you get so wise?"

"When Tsunade-sama isn't drunk or mad, she gives great advice."

"I would have to hang around her all the time like you do, and I don't think that would work out well for any of us."

"You both do love to argue."

"Well, you're not wrong about that."

"…But Ino…"

"Yeah?"

"I'll ask him one day. How Sasuke thinks of me."

"Good. I don't need you worrying about this for the rest of your life."

"I don't worry, I just don't want to force anything onto him, or myself. He did seem different though when I talked to him."

Sakura thought about earlier when Sasuke asked to walk her to the hospital.

_"I wonder why he did that. Did he want to talk to me more? We didn't really talk much anyway. Maybe… he just wanted to be with me."_

"We'll just have to wait and see."

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"What are you two gonna do if he doesn't want to be with you?"

"Like I said Ino, we'll always be friends."

"But won't it be awkward?"

"I've confessed to him multiple times already, so no, not really. Sure, it'll be a little embarrassing to confess to him again at my age, but I don't have much to lose. If he loves me, we'll have a great relationship. If he doesn't, then a great friendship it is."

Ino looked at Sakura skeptically. She knew Sakura, and she knew how in touch she was with her emotions, but she was also never one to keep unnecessary secrets. If she wanted to tell the truth by now, she would've, so Ino let it go for the moment.

"Do what feels right for you, Sakura."

"Thank you, Ino."

Sakura sipped her tea.

"So, what's going on with you and Sai?"

Ino blushed.

"N-nothing! Shut up, Forehead!"

…

**Sorry, I know the chapter is extremely short, but I've been preparing for school, so I barely had any time to write this week. I didn't want to rush things, so I hope this dialogue heavy chapter is good enough for you guys. Also, when I googled what honorific doctors in Japan go by, multiple articles said sensei, so Sakura in doctor mode will be Haruno-sensei.**

**Again, I'm really sorry. I appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

"So, because you missed girl's night this time, you have to help me at the flower shop tomorrow."

"Come on Ino, tomorrow's my day off!"

"Well, maybe you should have thought about that last night! I won't need you for long, just an hour or two-"

"Sakura-chan!"

Ino and Sakura turned around simultaneously to see none other than Naruto rushing over to them. The pair knowingly exchanged looks at each other. They knew exactly why Naruto was here.

"Sakura-chan, I was looking for you! I went to the hospital but you weren't there!"

"Sorry Naruto, I went out for lunch today."

"I have news. There's a rumor going around that Sasuke's back in the village! I was gonna try to find him now, but I thought we could look for him together, so when we find him Team 7 can be together again!"

Sakura giggled," I know, Naruto. I've found him already."

"She saw him this morning, at the hospital," Ino added on.

"Huh? That teme! How dare he visits you first? I bet he wasn't even going to look for me at all!"

"Naruto, I think you're overreacting a bit."

"That's easy for you to say Sakura-chan, you saw him already."

"How about this then. You, Sasuke and I can go to Ichiraku's tonight. Does that sound good to you? It'll be just like our old Team 7 times again, won't it?"

Naruto stared at Sakura as a fond smile grew on his lips.

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan!"

"So you'll meet us later then?"

"Of course I will, I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"And promise me you won't be mad at Sasuke when you see him later, okay?"

"As long as the three of us are there together, I promise!"

"Thank you, Naruto."

"No problem. Oh, and Ino, Hinata said she'll be at your flower shop tomorrow around twelve to help you."

"Oh, tell her I said thank you!"

"Sure thing. I'll see ya guys!"

Sakura turned to Ino. "Hinata's coming as well?"

"Yeah, Tenten too."

"Ino…"

"You're working so hard Sakura, and you missed hanging out with us last night. You have to stop once and a while, or else you're gonna past out! I thought we could all hang out at the shop tomorrow, you get a break, and I get 3 times the work done! It's a win win!"

Sakura chuckled, "Thank you, Ino."

"It's my pleasure."

Enjoying light conversation and banter, Sakura and Ino made their way back to the hospital and walked through the sliding doors. Just then a nurse looked at Sakura and ran up to her.

"Sakura-sensei, we need your help! There's 3 anbu in critical condition!"

"What? I'm sorry Ino, I have to go see what this is about."

"Why are you apologizing? Just go!"

Sakura hurried to the ER with the nurse as she explained what happened.

"Two of them have have Femoral shaft fractures, and one has a concussion. He lost consciousness as soon he got to the hospital. All of their chakra levels are extremely low."

"Two Femoral shaft fractures? How is that possible?"

"We're not sure yet, Sakura-sensei."

Sakura and the nurse walked into a room to see multiple nurses working on an unconscious anbu.

Sakura looked at the vitals on the screen a few feet in front of her.

"His chakra level is dangerously low, and there's extreme blood loss. This isn't good."

"Where are the other two?"

"They're going into surgery soon."

"Take me to them before the operations start, I want to observe the surgery."

"Yes, Sakura-sensei."

"What could have happened that two anbu ended up with a broken leg? The femur is the strongest bone in the body! Was it a fall? Surely we would be able to figure that out. Who would be out there that would able to break the femur of an anbu? I don't know what's going on here, but it's not good and I don't like it."

Sakura and the nurse rushed into the room, surprising the doctor that was preparing for the operation.

"Sakura-sensei, what are you doing here?"

"Aiko, I heard about the anbu. If you don't mind would you let me observe the surgery? It's just what's going on here doesn't sit well with me, and I want to see the damage for myself."

"Of course. I could actually use your assistance in the surgery as well. They're vitals have been stabilized, and we're putting them under as we speak. You can prepare yourself and I'll meet you in the OR."

"Thank you, Aiko."

As Sakura sterilized herself for the operation, she pondered, "Could it be Osteoporosis? No that's not possible. No shinobi, would be allowed to serve with that condition. It has to be some type of high force trauma. It could have fall from a high tree or cliff, but that seems unlikely. I'll just have to see how bad this damage is and run a hypothesis off of that."

Sakura didn't like what was unraveling in front of her. As she walked into the OR, she thought about the anbu with the concussion. The nurse told her he had just passed out as soon as he entered the hospital. If he was conscious when the rest of his team were in trouble, surely he would have seen something.

"I'll have to ask him when he wakes up."

"Thank you for waiting for me, Aiko."

"No problem. Are you ready?"

"Always."

…

"What's taking Sakura so long? It was her idea for us to meet up, and she's late. It's already dark out!"

"She didn't give us a specific time, so we just have to wait. Stop being so impatient."

"Fine, whatever… Wait! Why didn't you look for me when you came back? Sakura and Kakashi told me that you looked for them, so why'd you leave me out?"

"Tch. Usuratonkachi."

"Hey-"

"Naruto! Didn't I tell you not to fight with Sasuke-kun?"

"Oh, Sakura you're finally here! What took you so long?"

Now that Sakura thought about it, the operation did take longer than she thought it would. In her defense, the thighbone being fractured was rare, and she was no Orthopedic surgeon.

"I'm sorry, I'm just really tired. I had a surprise surgery today after I got back from lunch."

"Do you want to go home?"

Sakura looked up and was surprised to see that Sasuke was the one speaking.

"What? No, of course not! You're back in the village and you're asking me if I want to go home? Don't be silly, Sasuke-kun. I've made you both wait long enough."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, if you're tired Sakura-chan, you can get some sleep. Sasuke and I can eat plenty of ramen for you."

"Nonsense! I'm fine, and I'm hungry too!"

Sakura took a seat beside Sasuke.

"I wouldn't miss a team 7 dinner ever."

"Well in that case, Let's eat! Hey, Ayame! We're ready now!"

As Naruto waved down Ayame for her to take his order, Sakura looked up to talk to Sasuke.

"So, what did you do today?"

"Not much. I told Kakashi that I was back in the village."

"Well it's good that you told him. Have you seen the rest of the village yet? I bet it feels weird seeing everything so new."

"Yeah. Things feel a lot different, but I'll get used to it."

"Well I'm glad you're trying, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura sounded different from what Sasuke remembered. It's not that her voice had changed much, her pitch has stayed relatively the same. But the way she worded her sentences, she seemed a lot more mature than before.

"Hn."

"You have somewhere to stay, right?"

Sasuke hadn't thought about where he was going to stay for the night. He guessed that he would be given an apartment when he filed paperwork with Kakashi, but knowing his former sensei, it would be a while before he would have a place to live.

"No."

"No?"

He would ask Naruto, but he wouldn't want to disturb him and Hinata, and Sasuke could only stand so long sleeping under the same roof as Naruto.

"You could stay with me, you know."

"What?"

I know you were probably thinking of asking Naruto, but he has Hinata to take care of so if you want you could stay at my place for the night."

"I wouldn't want to intrude on your space."

"Don't worry about it! It's the least I could do for you."

Sasuke didn't want to be a burden on Sakura, but if he didn't except her offer, he would have to sleep on the streets tonight.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

Sasuke looked at Sakura. Did she know what she was doing?

"Three bowls of Miso Chashu Pork ramen!"

"Oh, we didn't even order yet!"

Naruto answered, "You guys were talking so I just ordered for all of us."

"O-oh, thank you Naruto!"

"No problem. Itadakimasu!"

_**Femoral shaft fracture- a break anywhere along the length of the femur. (Thighbone)**_

_**Vitals- the pulse rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and often blood pressure of a person. (And in this case Chakra level as well)**_

_** ER- Emergency room**_

_**OR- Operation room**_

**I think my research has put me on a FBI watch list. My google is now filled with a bunch of questions like, "How much force does it take to break a femur?" "How can you break a thighbone?" On a related note, the femur is the strongest bone in your body, and if I remember correctly, one square inch of bone could handle the weight of five trucks. And don't worry, I am adding some action, but the main point of this story is Sasuke and Sakura.**

**Sorry there was no update last week, I was very busy, because as of two weeks ago school has started. Because of that I will be moving the update day to Sunday. All the reviews, follows, and favorites are appreciated! They keep me writing new and better chapters! Sorry if this chapter is bad, its not beta read.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

"Sakura-chan, you've been really quiet."

"Huh?"

Sakura looked up from her bowl of ramen, only to see both Naruto and Sasuke looking at her with curiosity in their eyes.

She sighed.

"I'm sorry guys, I was just thinking about something."

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

Sakura didn't want to worry so much about the events that took place at work. Anything could have happened, so why did she feel so uneasy about it? It wasn't fair to Naruto, and especially not fair to Sasuke to have her attention divided at the moment. It was her idea to get them all together like this, so the least she could do is participate in the conversation.

"Oh, no. I'm really tired, no big deal. So Sasuke, what did you do on your journey?"

"Not much. I saw a lot of small villages and towns, and I helped with some of the problems caused by the war. Seeing how it effected people, you feel pitiful."

"I know how you feel. When I opened the Mental health clinic a couple months ago, I got to see firsthand just how much problems the war caused for civilians, especially children. That's why we've been trying our best to make sure everyone is okay again."

"Yeah."

"Hey Naruto."

"Mm?"

"You still want to be Hokage, right?"

"Of course I do! What type of question is that?"

"I'm just making sure. I want to know that our future is going to be in good hands."

"Just leave it to me, Sakura-chan. I'll protect you and everyone else from another war. Even Sasuke."

"Tch. Sakura and I don't need protection." He smirked. "If anything, you should watch your own back."

"You talk smack now, but you'll take that back once you need my help in a fight!"

Sasuke took another bite of his ramen. "Not if you trip on a branch on your way over."

Sakura couldn't believe what was happening. Sasuke of all people, was taking place in playful banter with Naruto. Back in their genin days, Naruto and Sasuke made fun of each other and threw insults back and forth, but this had a different air to it. Sasuke was happy. He was smiling, and never once put up a front that he wasn't enjoying the conversation.

Sakura smiled inwardly, not wanting to disturb the banter going on between her teammates.

She was happy. She was happy that Sasuke was sitting next to her, joking with Naruto. She was happy he had changed, that he felt pity for the people who's lives were ruined in the war. And she was happy that he would be staying in the village, as long as he felt comfortable.

_"I guess if I confess to him again he wouldn't feel very comfortable, huh? I wouldn't want my naivety to be his reason to leave the village again."_

Sakura told Ino that one day she would ask Sasuke how he felt about her, but she was scared. She already considered the possibility that Sasuke might not love her back, and she was fine with that. But what if Sasuke left the village again because of her? She wouldn't want to lose him again. That would be unfair to Naruto, Kakashi, and herself. She didn't want to risk her friendship with Sasuke.

_"Maybe I'll just wait a little while. If I ask him too soon, it'll be easier for him go. If I wait until his bonds to the village have grown even more, it'll be harder for him to leave again. That way, even if he doesn't feel comfortable with me, he could feel comfortable with everyone else."_

Before Sakura could take another bite of her food, a loud beeping noise rang from her pocket. Sakura took out the pager and stopped the annoying sound.

Naruto and Sasuke stopped their argument and both turned to Sakura.

"What was that?" Sasuke was the first one to speak.

"I'm sorry guys, but I think I have to go back to work."

Naruto stood up. "What? You were there all day, so why do you have to go back now?"

"I'm not sure, but if they're paging me after my shift is over, it must be important."

Sakura sighed and rubbed her face. She really was tired, and she didn't want to leave her friends, but it was protocol to get to the hospital as soon as possible when you were paged. What did they need her for now?

She got up from her seat and put some money on the table.

"Sasuke, you think you could walk to the hospital when you're done? I would just give you the key, but you don't know where I live, and staying here for a while is much better than coming with me and having to wait in an uncomfortable chair."

"Okay."

"Thank you so much. Again guys, I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you soon okay?"

Naruto pumped his hand in the air and pointed right at Sakura. "You better!"

Sakura smiled sleepily and then turned to make her way to the hospital.

"Does she always work this late?"

"Not usually, but sometimes she has a night shift. I've never seen her get paged this late though, so it must be something really important."

"I see."

Naruto looked at his friend. Sasuke was never an expressive person, but he could tell that Sasuke was not happy.

"Sasuke... Do you think that you maybe..._like Sakura-chan?"_

Naruto tried to look for any hint of emotion on Sasuke's face, but he saw none. But he knew Sasuke better than that. He knew what he was feeling.

"Where did that come from?"

"It's just a hunch of mine. You don't have to tell me, but if you don't want anyone to know then you should be less obvious about it."

Sasuke raised a brow. "What?"

"I bet it feels like no one else is in the room when you talk to her. It's like she's the only thing you want to focus on, so you block everything out. Even today, when Ayame already took my order, she just stood there waiting for you and Sakura, but you guys just kept on talking. It's like you forgot we were here."

Sasuke was shocked, but he didn't let it show. He was never one to let his guard down so low. He wasn't going to say it out loud, but Naruto was right. Every time Sasuke spoke to Sakura, it felt like everything else disappeared. He blocked out every other sound and sight, and could only focus on Sakura.

"I felt the same way when Hinata and I started dating, so I know how it feels."

Sasuke didn't want to deny his feelings for Sakura, but he knew that if he told Naruto the truth he would try to do something about it, and Sasuke didn't want anyone meddling in his affairs.

Sasuke sighed. "I don't know if I like her. I want to get to know who she is now before I decide if I like her or not."

That was a half truth. Sasuke did want to get to know the current Sakura better, but he already knew good and well that he liked her. What he wanted to do was give her time to see the current Sasuke, to decide if she still wants him as much as he wants her.

"She's not gonna wait for you forever, ya know? You're gonna need to make a choice one day."

Sasuke wasn't good with talking about his feelings. He could never find the right words and it made him uncomfortable, but there was one question that couldn't help but to slip from his mouth.

"...Do you think she still loves me?"

"If I'm gonna be honest, I guess I would say she still does. But it's not my opinion that matters. It's hers."

Even though he sounded irritated, Sasuke chuckled nevertheless."Tch. When did you start thinking that you were mature enough to give me advice like that?

"When I got _married_, teme. Speaking of married, I should be getting home now."

Naruto stood up out of his seat and started for the exit.

"I shouldn't keep Hinata waiting for so long, ya know? I wouldn't want her to worry about me. Well then, I'll see you later Sasuke!"

Sasuke watched Naruto as he walked out of the building with his hands behind his head and a huge grin on his face.

_"What's gotten into him?"_ Sasuke thought as he got out of his seat.

"Ehem!"

As soon as he stood up, he saw Ayame behind the counter looking at him, and he realized what Naruto had done to him.

"Usuratonkachi," Sasuke muttered under his breathe while taking out money from his pocket.

…

After paying for his _and Naruto's_ meal, Sasuke took his time walking to the hospital. Sakura didn't give him a specific time to be there, so there was no need to rush.

He was wondering if this was a good idea, staying with Sakura for the time being. He didn't want to impose on her and her space, and he definitely didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable, but he really didn't have any other option. Kakashi failed to give him an apartment, and he didn't want to stay at Naruto's and Hinata's place.

His only other option was to stay with Sakura, and luckily for him, she had offered before he could ask. But it just didn't sit well with him. What if she got tired of him quickly? He knew that Sakura was a kind person, and didn't want to be a burden on her.

_"I'll find my own place soon enough,"_ Sasuke thought.

Sasuke made his way to the front of the hospital only to see Sakura there with her eyes tightly shut, forehead wrinkled in frustration.

"They let you go already?"

As if on cue, the wrinkles in her forehead disappeared, and Sakura opened her eyes to look up at Sasuke.

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama just needed to tell me something."

"She paged you for that?"

"Well, it was important, but we can't exactly do anything about it. Not yet at least."

Sasuke looked at Sakura's face. Whatever it was that Tsunade had to tell Sakura wasn't pleasant.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Sakura opened her mouth as if to say something, but then quickly closed it.

"...No. I think I'll be fine. Thank you for asking though. You ready to go?"

"Yeah."

The walk back to Sakura's house was nearly silent. Sakura was extremely tired, and by the time they got into her apartment she was practically dragging her feet.

Sakura toed off her shoes placed them by the door. Doing the same, Sasuke took off his shoes and placed them next to hers.

"Let me get you some blankets and a pillow for the couch. Oh! You don't mind sleeping on the couch, do you?"

"Hn. I don't mind."

Sakura nodded and urged Sasuke to follow her.

"This is the kitchen over here. You can have anything you want if you're hungry. If you look down that hallway, the bathroom is on the left, and if you need anything, my bedroom is on the right. You probably want to use the bathroom, so I'll let you go first. Just let me get it ready and you could go right ahead."

He watched Sakura as she walked in and out of her bedroom with various items and pieces of clothing. Not wanting to be idle, Sasuke took to time waiting to further examine Sakura's living space. In the living room there were a lot of what Sasuke assumed to be medical books on the floor surrounding the coffee table. _"She still likes to read a lot. She's always learning, even when she's relaxing."_ There were a few dishes in the sink, so Sasuke knew that even though she was working hard, at least she was trying to keep herself healthy.

"Ok, the bathroom is ready for you. There's a towel in there in some clothes for you to sleep in."

"Where did you get clothes from?" Sasuke said while raising a brow.

"They're Naruto's. He used to come here a lot, so I guess he forgot he left them." Sakura laughed. "You don't have to worry though. I washed them."

"If you say so."

"You don't believe me?"

Sasuke smirked. "Hn. I do, but if they're Naruto's, they still might not be clean."

"Well I guess you'll just have to take the chances."

"I guess I will."

**…**

**Sorry for the late chapter, I was having technical difficulties on update day.**

**This chapter was fun for me to write, I have to admit. Sasuke being salty that he was listening to love advice from Naruto of all people was my favorite part. Sasuke and Sakura have a parallel problem, so fun am I right? Also, I'm in love with foreshadowing. I won't tell you why though. You'll have to figure that out on your own.**

**All the follows, favorites, and reviews are appreciated. They keep me writing new and better chapters for you guys!**

**Thank you for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto.

The golden rays of the sun filtered through the trees as the wind rustled Sakura's hair. As promised the day before, Sakura made her way to the flower shop to be with her friends.

As Sakura opened the door and the bell chimed, she saw Tenten, Ino, and Hinata all standing at the counter snipping the ends off flower stems.

"Finally, she's here!" Ino exclaimed.

"Sorry it took me so long, I had some errands to run before I came."

Sakura grabbed a pair of shears and a few flowers and started to snip some of the ends off their stems. Hinata and Tenten stared at Sakura, and Ino came up beside her.

"What type of errands did you run?" Tenten asked. Ino and Hinata leaned in, anticipating Sakura's answer.

Sakura furrowed her brows as she responded. "I trained early in the morning and then I went grocery shopping, that's all. Why are you so curious?"

"Well, Hinata said that Naruto told her that Sasuke went home with you last night after your dinner."

"Ugh, Ino-"

"What happened? Did you guys do anything?" Ino said, leaning in even closer.

"Nothing happened!" Sakura said, taking a step back.

"Nothing happened my ass! Come on, you could tell us. We'll tell you something Sasuke said in return!"

"No, we won't," Hinata cut in gently.

"Naruto didn't tell me anymore than what I already told you, unfortunately. He said he wanted to respect Sasuke's privacy."

"If he needs privacy to respect that must mean he said something-"

"Guys!" Sakura yelled. Everyone turned to look at her.

_"Nothing _happened! I'll tell you every single detail if you just stop and calm down."

…

Sakura woke up at the break of dawn, refreshed from a dreamless sleep. She had to get up early for work most of time, so it became habit. Lucky for her, because she woke up so early, she got a lot done on her days off.

She swung her legs over the bed made her way to the bathroom. After brushing her teeth, she walked into the living room, only to be surprised to see Sasuke laying on her couch.

_ "Oh, that's right! How could I forget that Sasuke was here? I'm so used to living by myself that I forgot I had invited him to stay with me."_

Sakura carefully made her way into the kitchen, not wanted to disturb Sasuke. She opened her fridge, but there was nothing there but a half a loaf of bread, milk, eggs, and butter.

She sighed. _"I can't have a guest and not have food in the house. I'll need to go shopping today."_ Sakura made a mental checklist of everything she would need to get. "_Maybe I'll get some tomatoes too."_

She filled up the kettle with water, and took two cups out of the left cabinet by the sink. One for her, and one for Sasuke.

_"I hope he likes eggs,"_ Sakura thought as she took out a pan.

A blush struck her cheek as she thought of what she was doing. This would be the first time Sakura cooked breakfast for Sasuke.

She shook her head vigorously.

_"Stop thinking like that, you're acting like a little girl! I'm not just cooking for him, I'm cooking for myself too. There's nothing strange about cooking for myself."_

Sakura heard a floorboard creak and turned her head to see Sasuke standing in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Good morning."

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun. I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No," Sasuke said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"That's good. I'm just making us something for us to eat, so I hope you don't mind eggs. Do you want coffee or tea?"

"Tea is fine."

"Okay then."

Sasuke watched Sakura as she flipped the eggs in the pan and added salt and pepper to the one side.

"Are you working today?"

"No, today's my day off."

Sasuke knew from what Naruto told him that Sakura worked a lot. It was good to know that she took breaks every once and a while.

"What are you planning to do today?"

Sakura took the eggs out of the pan and put them on two plates.

"Well for one," Sakura gestured to the food. "We need groceries, so I'll get those today. I think I might go training this morning too."

"Mind if I join you?"

The kettle went off and Sakura poured two hot cups of tea for heself and Sasuke.

"I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

"Do you mind if I join you for training?"

"O-Oh, not at all!"

Sasuke watched as Sakura picked up the cups and walked them over to the table. "It's been a while since I've trained with anyone else." She repeated the same action with the plates.

"Nobody usually wakes up this early unless they have a mission, and I don't want to bother anyone else."

She gestured for Sasuke to take a seat at the table.

"On the bright side, the training grounds are usually empty this early in the morning, so the solitude is nice. Itadakimasu!"

Sasuke had more in common with Sakura than he formerly thought. She had a lot of friends, she loved to hold conversation with acquaintances and strangers alike, and she catered to the people. But listening to her right now made him realize that she didn't mind being by herself, just like him.

"Sometimes it's nice when it's just you. You get a lot done without distraction. I bet you had a lot of solitude on your trip, huh?"

"Yeah. It gave me a lot of time to think."

"Well I'm glad you gave yourself that time. You probably wouldn't be here, eating breakfast with me."

Sasuke smiled to himself. "Yeah, I'm glad too."

After they finished eating, Sasuke offered to wash the dishes, but Sakura refused. He was a guest, and in her words, "Guest don't wash dishes!"

They both got dressed in their ninja attire and left for the training grounds.

Sakura talked and Sasuke listened to every word she said. She told him not to hold back, and he reassured her that he wasn't going to.

"We're here." Sakura said.

They both dropped their bags at a corner on the outskirts of the the training ground, and Sakura pasued for a moment to stretch.

"Okay, I'm good to go!" Sakura and Sasuke stood up from the grass and looked at each other.

"Ready?" Sakura said.

Sasuke smirked, and threw a kunai to the middle of the training ground. In less than a second, the kunai was in the ground next to Sakura, and Sasuke was where the kunai used to be.

Sakura couldn't see his expression, but Sasuke was extremely smug.

"Ready!"

Sakura had to run to to the middle of the training ground.

"You show off!" She yelled at Sasuke when she made it to where he was standing.

"You asked me if I was ready, I was simply just showing you that I am."

"You're not allowed to teleport while we spar!"

Sasuke raised a brow. "You told me not to hold back."

"That's just an unfair advantage. In return, I'll try not to hit any of your vital organs," She smirked.

Sakura took a leap back and got into fighting position. "Ready!"

She gathered chakra into her fist and punched the ground with all her might.

"Shannaro!"

**…**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially the beginning at the flower shop. By the way, there'll be a callback in a future chapter to the line about 980 words in. It'll be quite the lengths away, but if you remember that line when you read the future chapter then it'll be so much more adorable.**

**I appreciate all the follows, favorites, and reviews. They motivate me to keep writing new and better chapters!**

**Thank you for reading.**


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